Following WW II, Louanne and her husband, Philip, lived in Colorado Springs, just a few blocks away from Schulz. The Van Pelt’s and Schulz frequently played bridge and during that time he was developing the “Peanuts” characters.

According to Van Pelt’s daughter, Marnie, “Mom always said when she was interviewed that she was much nicer than that (Lucy) in person.”

Schulz introduced the know-it-all brunette to the cartoon strip in 1952 after moving with his wife and daughter, Meredith, to California.

“She was originally a goggle-eyed toddler who continually annoys her parents and the older kids. She aged up over the next two years so that by 1954, she was the same age as Charlie Brown. Schulz then altered Lucy’s eyes to have the same appearance as that of the other characters. The exception was for small extra lines around them which were also sported by her two siblings.” Source…

Louanne Van Pelt passed away April 6, 2015 in Colorado Springs.

Charles Schulz only spent a year in Colorado Springs. He passed away in 2000.